Thor's strike enough for 10-man Houston Dynamo to down SKC in Open Cup

Houston Dynamo FC found a way to win again inside the friendly confines of Shell Energy Stadium and advance to the Round of 16 of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night. 

A 12th-minute goal from Thorleifur Úlfarsson was enough for the home side to take a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the tournament's Round of 32 on Wednesday night. Chase Gasper received a red card in the 35th minute, leaving Ben Olsen's team down a player, but goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell and his defensive line saw out the result for a sixth home clean sheet.

"Overall, super pleased with the result and we are moving on in the tournament," Olsen said after the match. "It is just amazing what you can do when everybody is selfless and gives a complete effort. Guys are cramping out there and they're exhausted in [the locker room] because they gave everything for each other, and you ride your luck a little bit."

Five players made their club debuts in the match, including new signing Aliyu Ibrahim. Houston Dynamo 2 players Talen Maples, Mujeeb Murana, Djevencio van der Kust, and Charles Auguste also got their inaugural appearances with the first team.

Here's what else stood out from this match:

Thunderstruck

Thor Ulfarsson scored his first goal of the season and he did it with a thundering strike from distance. The second-year MLS forward has only featured in 124 minutes, despite playing a part in a 1-1 result at New York Red Bulls a few weeks back, and fans have also asked why he hasn't gotten a share of opportunity with the team's scoring struggles.

On Wednesday night, the player reminded everyone of what he can do when given the opportunity. Ulfarsson was part of a three-man frontline alongside designated player Sebastian Ferreira and winger Nelson Quiñones.

But did the Icelandic forward do enough to merit more time in league play? As of now, he is the only forward aside from Amine Bassi to score this season.

Five debuts

Fans got a first look at Aliyu in the latter part of this encounter. The Nigerian forward was recently acquired for a $2.2 million transfer fee, per Transfermarkt reporter Manuel Veth.

In this match, he featured out wide, but wherever he plays, he will be expected to be a big goal contributor for that price tag. Aliju was most recently in Croatia with NK Lokomotiva.

Among the other debutants in this match were Houston Dynamo 2 captain Talen Maples and fellow defender Mujeeb Murana. Djevencio van der Kust and Charles Auguste, two off-season pickups recently gaining minutes with the second team, also saw their first minutes in Orange.

Considering the result, there'll likely be more opportunity ahead for a few of these names in Open Cup play. As far as league minutes, those could be up for grabs too with recent injuries and a congested schedule ahead, not to mention this summer's Leagues Cup.

Scoreless SKC

Part of the story in this match was Kansas City's inability to score. It's not to demerit what the Dynamo did, all the contrary, the opposition failed to make use of a 17-2 shot advantage with four strikes on target.

Perhaps the pressure is too much for teams coming in to play at the Shell this season as no team, all from MLS by the way, has been able to score in downtown Houston this year. As the days get hotter and more humid, exhaustion will ideally play more of a part as well.

Tarbell registered four saves and had another solid night in goal in his second club appearance. Gasper, Bartlow, Murana and Dorsey started as the back four, with Brad Smith shifting into left back after the ejection and Micael, Maples and Van Der Kust coming on in the second half.

Midfielder Luis Caicedo was named man of the match for his contributions. The Colombian was accompanied by Brooklyn Raines and the two were asked a bit more than usual after the red card, but they stood out for helping the team to victory in the absence of Hector Herrera, Adalberto Carrasquilla and Artur.

Houston will once again face MLS opposition in the tournament. Minnesota United was drawn to visit Houston in Thursday's draw with the winner moving on to face either Austin FC or Chicago Fire.